President Bola Tinubu has condemned a “cowardly and beastly” attack by gunmen on villagers in Kwara State.
The President on Wednesday had ordered the deployment of a full army battalion to hunt down the perpetrators and protect vulnerable communities.
In a strongly worded statement which he personally signed on Thursday, President Tinubu described the assault in Worro village in Kaiama local government area (LGA), as an assault on “our humanity, our faith, and our shared values as a nation”.
President Tinubu who met Kwara State Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq for a briefing at the Presidential Villa, Abuja said the victims – described as innocent Muslims – were killed for rejecting attempts at “forced indoctrination” into a violent ideology masquerading as faith.
“It is particularly disturbing that the victims were killed because they rejected an attempt at forced indoctrination,” Tinubu said.
“It is commendable that the community members, even though Muslims, refused to be conscripted into a weird belief that promoted violence over peace and dialogue.”
NewsQuest reports that the recent attack underscores the nation’s persistent struggle with terrorism in the north-central region, where groups linked to Boko Haram and its splinter factions have increasingly targeted rural communities amid a broader insurgency that has claimed thousands of lives since 2009.
President Tinubu, while ordering the immediate deployment of troops, announced the launch of “Operation Savannah Shield” under a new military command in Kaiama.
“This new military command will spearhead efforts to checkmate these barbaric terrorists and protect defenceless communities,” he said, directing federal and state agencies to collaborate on relief efforts and justice for the victims.
The President extended condolences to the bereaved families and the people of Kwara, affirming: “Nigeria will never surrender its people to extremism and terrorism masquerading as faith. They will not go scot-free.”
Governor Abdulrazaq confirmed his meeting with President Tinubu but provided few details on casualties, amid reports of several deaths.
